The invention relates to a folding table.
For example, EP 1 308 109 discloses a folding table. This folding table comprises a support frame, which is mounted in vertical support columns at each end face. The folding table can thus be locked in a horizontal work position. So that the table can be stored away in a space-saving manner, the table top can be brought into a storage position, in which the work surface is folded more or less in the vertical direction.
The work surface can be locked in the horizontal work position, but also in the vertical storage position, by a locking means. To pivot the table top from one position into the other, a handle connected to a locking mechanism is thus provided, offset slightly towards the centre of the table, on the underside of the table top alongside each longitudinal edge of the table top. By pulling the handle towards the longitudinal edge of the table, the locking mechanism is released, in such a way that the work surface can be rotated, for example from the horizontal or at least approximately horizontal work position thereof into the vertical or approximately vertical pivot position. If the table top is to be pivoted back into the horizontal use position, the respective upward handle located on the underside of the table top is gripped and pulled upwards (actuating the unlocking) and the table top is pivoted into the horizontal position.
The object of the present invention is to provide an unlocking mechanism for a folding table which is improved by comparison.
The present invention provides a considerable improvement in the handling of a corresponding folding table by simple means.
In the conventional solution, it was indeed possible to pivot the table top of the folding table for example in one or the opposite direction starting from the horizontal work position thereof into a more or less vertical storage position. However, to release the locking, a respective corresponding handle on the underside of the table top had to be pulled to initiate the unlocking process. This was equally the case when the work surface was located in the at least approximately vertical storage position thereof. In this case too, the disengagement handle located somewhat below the upper delimiting edge, extending in the longitudinal direction of the table, had to be gripped and pulled towards the upper edge of the table to initiate the unlocking process and subsequently to pivot the table top back into the horizontal work position.
By contrast, the solution according to the invention consists in that a disengagement portion which can be actuated by foot is provided for initiating the unlocking process in the latter case. In other words, a table top located in the vertical storage position may for example be gripped in the region of the upper longitudinal edge thereof, thus holding the table and preventing it from rolling away, while simultaneously depressing with a shoe the actuation portion, positioned adjacent to the lower table edge, of the unlocking means, in order to pivot the table top from the approximately vertical orientation thereof in the storage position into the approximately horizontal orientation thereof in the conventional use position. This is found in practice to be far easier and more natural than pulling an upper handle upwards.
If the table is pivotable about the horizontal axis thereof in both directions, corresponding unlocking handles or portions are provided on the table top directly alongside the two opposed longitudinal edges. For a table top located in the vertical storage position, it would therefore in principle be conceivable, instead of pulling the upper handle, to actuate the lower handle, which is actually intended for the manual unlocking process, by foot, i.e. with a shoe. However, this is to be avoided for reasons of hygiene, since the unlocking means would then be disengaged by foot at some times and be gripped by hand at other times, specifically if the relevant table top were located in the horizontal locked position thereof, in which the unlocking means would always be disengaged or actuated by hand.
Therefore, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, two actuation portions arranged mutually offset in the transverse direction of the table are thus provided on each table half on the underside of the table top, specifically a manual, i.e. hand-actuatable unlocking or disengagement means and a foot-actuatable unlocking or disengagement means. Whenever the table top is located in the approximately vertical storage position thereof, unlocking can be actuated via the pedal located on the underside of the table alongside the lower longitudinal table edge. In other words, by pressing with a shoe on the aforementioned disengagement portion provided for this purpose, the corresponding unlocking mechanism can be adjusted against the force of a spring means. This unlocking process is far easier to carry out than that in the previous situation, where if the table top were located in the vertical storage position thereof, the manual unlocking means alongside the upper longitudinal edge of the table had to be pulled upwards to carry out the unlocking process against the force of a spring means.
A further improvement results if the foot-actuated disengagement portion of the unlocking means is of a larger size, above all projecting further from the underside of the table, than the corresponding actuation portion for manual disengagement. In this way, it can reliably be ensured in particular that the sole of the shoe only ever reaches and actuates the disengagement pedal of the unlocking means and those portions of the actuation means to be disengaged by hand cannot be soiled.
This last variant is preferred, although it would also be possible in principle to provide disengagement means, for actuation by foot and by hand respectively, which were arranged spatially separated in the longitudinal direction of the table.